LAS VEGAS — What a way to make a first impression. The Oakland Athletics’ debut game in Las Vegas turned into an absolute offensive spectacle, with Milwaukee edging out a wild 15-14 victory in 12 innings that had fans witnessing baseball history.
The fireworks started immediately when Shea Langeliers launched the first pitch he saw a staggering 483 feet, setting the tone for what would become an unforgettable introduction between the city and its future Major League Baseball team.
While Milwaukee claimed the victory, the real winners were the spectators who witnessed one of the most chaotic games in recent memory.
“It’s the most bizarre game I’ve ever had in Major League Baseball in 11 years,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I never saw anything like it. So many things happened. There were 16 challenges in the game. Sixteen challenges in the game. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Those replay reviews weren’t just frequent — they were necessary. Home plate umpire Clint Vondrak struggled mightily, having 11 of his 16 challenged ball-and-strike calls reversed. According to Umpire Scorecards, he also missed three additional calls that potentially influenced the outcome.
The contest took place at Las Vegas Ballpark, which serves as home to the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate. Oakland will face Milwaukee again Tuesday and Wednesday before welcoming the Colorado Rockies for a three-game weekend series, all part of their effort to connect with Las Vegas supporters. The franchise plans to relocate to Las Vegas in 2028, where they’ll play in a $2 billion domed facility on the Strip with 33,000 seats.
Fans received commemorative jerseys featuring VEGAS on the back along with the number 28.
The minor league venue proved to be a launching pad during Monday’s offensive explosion, which lasted four hours and 14 minutes. Both clubs combined for 34 hits and 11 home runs — numbers unlikely to be replicated regularly in their future major league stadium.
“Just an all-around crazy game,” Langeliers said. “Both teams battled all night. It was a great baseball game.”
The victory marked just Milwaukee’s second win ever when surrendering 14 or more runs. Their previous such triumph came against Washington by an identical 15-14 score on Aug. 17, 2019. The Brewers’ record in games allowing at least 14 runs now stands at 2-88.
For Oakland, this marked their first participation in a game where both teams reached 14 runs since falling 17-16 to Texas on May 5, 2000.
Beyond the offensive onslaught, the game delivered plenty of late-inning theatrics.
Oakland carried a two-run advantage into the ninth inning, but Andrew Vaughn’s two-run double with nobody out forced extra innings.
Milwaukee grabbed a four-run lead in the 10th inning, only to watch Oakland respond with four runs of their own, highlighted by clutch two-out home runs from Nick Kurtz and Jonah Heim.
The marathon finally ended in the 12th when Brice Turang’s fielder’s choice groundout with one out brought home Christian Yelich with what proved to be the decisive run, concluding what may have been the season’s most entertaining contest.
